Lock means for door control mechanism



March 4, 1952 E. ALLEN ETAL LOCK MEANS FOR DOOR CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Jan. 21. 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet l R Y mum E Lmq N A o N LR .w W a LD W W EAmf March 4, 1952 E. L. ALLEN ETAL 87, 8

LOCK MEANS DOOR CONTROL MECHANISM I Filed Jan. 21, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. EDWIN L. ALLEN ANGELO R. DEVITO HAROLD B. MUSTER ATTORNEY March 4, 1952 E. L. ALLEN ETAL LOCK MEANS FOR DOOR CONTROL MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 21, 1947 No v mewm E L s. N LEu m NADM.T T W RB A 3 \NOD NT Mg 2 F AH m E. L. ALLEN ETAL LOCK MEANS FOR DOOR CONTROL MECHANISM March 4, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 21, 1947 R S N O E R E .u T N 0 LV R T L 0 NAD .T E R B Q T l\ L. D A EMH J m. 6 6 1 mg n W 7 l h l I l I w Patented Mar. 4, 1952 LOCK MEANS FOR DOOR CONTROL MECHANISM Edwin L. Allen and Angelo R. De Vito, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and Harold B. Muster, Fountain City, Ind., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Rudolph I. Schonitzer, Cleveland, Ohio Application January 21, 1947, Serial No. 723,330

/ 3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to door control mechanism, characterized by means for receiving energy as a function of door closing movement, latching of the door, or both; storing of such energy while the door remains closed and latched; and when door opening i desired, release of such energy for the purpose of unlatching the door, urging it openwise, or both.

Such a door control mechanism is disclosed in Patent No. 2,094,413, issued September 28, 1937, to Rudolph I. Schonitzer, wherein appears complementary latch pin and latch plate means mounted respectively on complementary wall and door structures, and, for control of the movable member of the complementary pair, associated detent and trip or actuating mean mounted and arranged for operator-responsive detent-tripping operation.

Said patent also discloses means for preventing, when desired, tripping or actuating of the detent means, by blocking of the mechanism.

As an improvement over the control mechanism of said patent, application Serial No. 713,220, filed November 30, 1946, by Edwin L. Allen, and copending herewith, disclose means providing optional prevention of tripping or actuating such detent means, while permitting nevertheless the normal operation by the operator of the member by which tripping is otherwise accomplished. In other words, the invention of said copending application provides means to predetermine the tripping effectiveness of operation of the actuating member; by means characterized by idling or free-wheeling effect, as distinguished by means characterized from the blocking effect disclosed in said patent; such idling operation eliminating possibility of damage by tampering and consequently permitting lighter construction.

General objects of the invention of this application are improvements upon the type of structure disclosed in said copending application, and, briefly, this invention contemplates incorporation of the tripping-effectiveness-control means with the push button or like actuating member through operation of which tripping may be effected.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figs. 1 to 6 illustrate one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a detail in elevation of pertinent parts of a door structure embodying the invention,

parts being broken away to show details of construction, the mechanism appearing as at rest with the door closed and latched, Fig. 1 also indicating in dot-dash lines certain parts of the mechanism as in tripped or door open position, the planes of Fig. 1 being indicated by the lines i-l, Figs. 4, 5, and 6.

Fig. 2 is a detail of parts appearing in Fig. 1, and in sectional elevation as therein, showing the parts positioned to be ineffective for detent tripping.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the push button actuating member as having been depressed, Without tripping effectiveness.

Fig. 4 is a detail in horizontal section as in the planes of lines 44, Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 6.

Fig. 5 is an inside detail sectional elevation as indicated by lines 5-5, Figs. 1 and 4, and

Fig. 6 is a detail in outside elevation corresponding to Fig. 5, taken as in the planes of line 5-45, Figs. 2, 3, and 4.

Figs. 7 to 10 illustrate another modification of the invention, Fig. 7 being in sectional elevation with parts broken away to show detaiils of construction, the parts appearin in full lines as at rest in door latched position and certain parts appearing, by dot-dash lines, as having had tripping actuation.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. '7 but showing the parts positioned to prevent tripping effectiveness.

Fig. 9 is a view from the rear of parts appearing in Fig.7 as indicated by line 9-9 therein, the lines i'l, Fig. 9, indicating the planes of part appearing in section in Fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is a detaiil sectional elevation as indicated by line Ill-l 3, Fig. 7.

It will be apparent to one familiar with the art that while the two forms of the invention herein illustrated are disclosed as applied to an automotive body structure and more particularly to a door thereof, the invention could as well be applied to other types of structures, and, if preferred, to the wall structure itself to which the door structure i complementary.

With reference now to the drawings and first to Figs. 1 to 6 thereof, l4 represents generally a hinged door structure, which may be of hollow sheet metal construction as indicated, at the free edge of which is mounted, as on a sub-base 32, secured Within the door structure, a stub shaft 3| carrying on the outside a bifurcated latch member I2, of which the latch and throwout arms l0 and l l are integral parts, the element 35 being secured to the stub shaft 3| on the inside, for oscillatory movement with the latch member 12 between the latched or operative position of the latter indicated in full lines and the released or operated position thereof indicated in dot-dash lines (Figure 1).

Spring means 40 is arranged to yieldably urge these parts counterclockwise, Fig. 1, from door latched or operative toward door unlatched or operated position.

Mounted on the stud pin 55 in the plane of the element 35, is a detent 54 having a shoulder 56 cooperative with a shoulder on the element 35 to latch the latter, and consequently the latch member l2, in the door latched or operative position indicated in full lines in Fig. 1.

A lever A is pivotally mounted at B on the sub-base 32 and has its motion limited as by the rivet C and cooperative slot illustrated, the lever A being provided with a shoulder, cooperative at D with a suitable projection on the detent 54, the lever A being movable to the position indicated in dot-dash lines in Fig. l to move the detent 54 to eiiectively release the bifurcated member IE to the action of the spring 40 to unlatch the door and urge it openwise; the bifurcated latch member i2, here shown as on the door, cooperating with a keeper pin it fixed on the wall structure to which the door is complementary.

A member 196d may be provided if desired for secondary control of the detent 55 so that the detent may have tripping operation from either the lever A by an operator outside the wall structure or from the member i890. operable from the inside of the wall structure.

What has thus far been described is generally similar both in structure and function to what has been fully disclosed in the above identified patent and copending application, and it is therefore suflicient to here state the arrangement to be such that as the door is closed the latch member I2 (and therefore the door as well) will be secured by the detent 54, and the lever A will be in its full line position Fig. 1; whereas movement of lever A to its dot-dash position Fig. 1, will effect release of the latch member 42 and consequently the door, through releasing movement of the detent 54. Certain features of the door control mechanisms herein shown and described are disclosed and claimed in the Edwin L. Allen copending United States patent application Serial No. 746,521, filed May 7, 1947, and cross-reference is hereby made to said application.

According to the present invention, novel means are provided, to which the lever A may or may not be responsive, as desired, the tripping effectiveness of the usual tripping operation of such novel means being predetermined; lock means being provided for control of such tripping effectiveness.

To such end push button means 68 is mounted in the door it for operation from the outside thereof by depression against a spring 85 to move a push rod E within the spring and borne against the inner face of the push button means 69 thereby, which push button means is in the form of a hollow plunger having a rearwardly opening cavity to receive both the spring and the push rod; the arrangement being such that the push button 65 and its push rod E are yieldably urged by the spring 5! outwardly of the door id as shown Fig. 1. Also the push rod E as seen in Figure 1, is in line with the lever A so that depression of the push button may move the push rod shank end against the spring 5! to engage the lever A for tripping actuation thereof as indicated in dot-dash lines. Under such conditions the push button 60 has tripping effectiveness.

Means are provided, however, for rendering the push rod E ineffective for tripping actuation of the lever A notwithstanding depression of the push button.

To such end as here shown, the head end of the push rod E and its seat within the push button 60 are made spherical so that the plunger may have swinging adjustment within the push button and spring 61, which latter is conical for the purpose.

More particularly, as indicated the spring 6| has a small head end bearing against a head on the push rod to maintain bearing between the push button and the push rod, the opposite or base end of the spring being enlarged to clear the shank end swinging of the push rod and bearing against a suitable annular seat within the housing 62 in which the push button slides, the housing and push button being formed to provide the cooperative annular shoulders indicated at 63 for limiting outward push button movement.

The amount of swing of the push rod E, permitted by its described associated parts, is such that it may be moved upwardly from the position indicated Fig. 1 to the position indicated Fig. 2, wherein, upon depression of the push button 60, the plunger or rod E will clear the trip ping lever A, as indicated Fig. 3.

For such swing adjustment, a slide 64 is mounted in the base part of the housing 62, the slide having an opening loosely fitting about the shank end of the push rod E, and the base end of the housing including a member 65 which provides the guideway for the slide 6 3 and has a slot 8i to permit swinging adjustment of the push rod.

For control of the slide 64 and hence of the tripping effectiveness of depression of the push button 6%], lock means are provided as generally indicated at 66 and operable by a key from the outside of the door.

The lock means is preferably made a part of the sub-assembly which includes the push button S0, push rod E, slide 64, etc., for convenient mounting and as indicated in the drawings. The lock means 661s made efiective on'the slide 64 as by a crank pin 61 on the lock and cooperative slot 68 in the slide 64. Thus, as illustrated Figs. 1 and 5, push button depression will have tripping effectiveness but, upon key actuated movement of the lock counterclockwise from the position shown in Fig. 5 to position the parts as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, depression of the push button will have no tripping effectiveness.

With reference now to Figs. '7 to 10 of the drawings, the general arrangement and purpose is the same as before in that tripping efiectiveness of push button depression upon the lever A issubject to control of the lock 66; but details of the parts within and associated with the push button itself are modified.

Here the push button 50 is returned by a helical spring H in the housing 12, the push button having arms I3 engaged by the spring and slideable in slots in a sub-base 74 of the housing to prevent rotational movement of the push button. The push button 70 is in the form of a hollow plunger, and a sub-plunger 15 is mounted within sub-hosing l4 and carries a push rod E coaxial with the push button if! and located to engage the lever A. Aspring'lfi is arranged within the sub-housing 14 to be effective between the base end of the housing 12 and the sub-plunger '55 to y l ably ur e the latter against a stop ll.

Means are provided to control the effectiveness of depression of the push button 16 on the subplunger 15, these two parts having telescopic relation. To this end pins 18 are provided on the push button and corresponding openings 19 in the head end of the sub-plunger l5, two of such pins and openings, spaced at 180 about the general push button axis, being illustrated. The arrangement is such that when the sub-plunger F; is indexed as illustrated Fig. 8, with the pins l8 and openings 19 in alignment, depression of the push button 70 will not affect the sub-plunger 75, the pins 18 simply projecting through the openings l9 as indicated dot-dash lines Fig. 8. However, when the sub-plunger 15 is indexed at 90 from such pin aligning position, as indicated Figs. 7 and 10, upon depression of the push button the pins 18 will engage the head end of the sub-plunger 16 to move the push rod E and actuate the trip lever A as indicated dot-dash lines Fig. 7.

Means are provided for control of the indexing of the sub-plunger to thereby control the trip effectiveness of the push button 30.

To such end the push rod E is toothed as indicated in the drawings, and the slide '64, mounted in suitable guideway in the push button housing assembly, is provided with rack teeth 89 engaging the push rod teeth. 4

The lock means 66, having a pin 61 engaging slide 64 at an opening 68 therein, is arranged to provide locking control of the slide 64 generally as before described. The arrangement is such that the stroke of the pin 61 of the lock 66, between locked and unlocked positions, effects corresponding indexing of the sub-plunger 15 between positions to be inoperable by the push button 10 or actuable thereby, respectively.

It will be noticed that in both examples of the invention herein disclosed, tripping efieotiveness is determined by means immediately associated with and largely within the push button; in the first disclosed example such means having swinging adjustment within the push button and in the second example such means having adjustment about the push button axis.

What is claimed is: v

1. In a door control mechanism, a detent adapted releasably to retain the mechanism in door latched position, push button means including a hollow plunger having a rearwardly opening cavity, push rod means extending within said cavity and having a headend disposed at the head end of said plunger, means arranged to bear against a shank end portion of said push rod means and shiftable transversely of said plunger to selectively predetermine the path of travel of l ing cavity, push rod means extending within said cavity and having a head end disposed at the head end or" said plunger, spring means arranged to maintain said push rod head end pivotal y bearing against said plunger and provide automatic return of the latter from depressed position, means arranged to bear against a shank end portion of said push rod means and shiftable transversely to selectively predetermine the shank end path of travel responsive to depression of said plunger, and detent trip means arranged to be energized by said push rod shank end in one or" said paths and not in another.

3. In a door control mechanism a detent adapted releasably to retain the mechanism in door latched position, push button means including a hollow plunger having a rearwardly opening cavity, push rod means extending within said cavity and having a head end disposed at the head end of said plunger, spring means arranged to maintain said push rod head end pivotally bearing against said plunger and provide automatic return of the latter from depressed position, said spring means bearing about said push rod adjacent the head end thereof and extending therefrom divergently toward the shank end thereof, means arranged to bear against a shank end portion of said push rod means and shiftable transversely to selectively predetermine the shank end path of travel responsive to depression of said plunger, and detent trip means arranged to be energized by said push rod shank end in one of said paths and not in another.

EDWIN L. ALLEN. ANGELO R. DE VITO. HAROLD B. MUSTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS: 

